Draft and buffing mechanism.



G. H. FORSYTH. DRAFT-AND BUFFING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1901.

.4. ,2 1 39,? l '7 Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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G. H. FORSYTH.

DRAFT AND BUFFING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26 I907.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

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Eu 55 a!!! iw iii-n moans smartesonon H. FoRsYtrH, orcHioAGofILLInoIs;'AssIeNoB To wane DRAFT GEAR COMPANY, a oosroaatrron orILLINOIS.

snarl: Ann eams MECHANISM.

Paten tedhia 20, 1917.

12193717 V i i Specification of Letters Patent,

i Application filed November 26, 1907. Serial No; 403,949.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that l, Gnonon H. Foasrrn, .a citizen of the United States.residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois. haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft and BuffingMechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

- This invention relates to draft and butt"- ing mechanisms for railwaycars, and pertain's in part to a new and improved form of yoke'designedto afford increased clearance under side movement of the draw-bar,having a maximum strength for the amount otmaterial employed in thesame; in part torneans for connecting the same tothe draw-bar affordinga stronger attachment with the latter; and in part to a novelonstruction of follower. designed to render my improved yoke or draw barextensioninter.

changeable, when required, with a standard yoke.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a constructionaffording increased clearance for lateral movement or side play at theinner end of theyoke or .draw-bar extension without sacrificing thestrength of the lat a: Another object of the invention is to provide animproved connection between the yoke and the draw-bar that shall reducein large. measure the shearing strains on the connecting rivets, and inthis connection it may be said that while, 1 herein referto andillustrate rivets. as a suitable means for connecting the draw bar andyoke, it is to he uinlerstood that other analogous connectinginemhersmay be employed and the term rivet is used herein-as including generallysuch connecting elements. Another object of the invention is to providea novel construction of drawhar shank which shall permit the rivets oranalogous deviccs securing the yoke thereto to be applied in a moreetiicient condition. My improvements permit rivetsto be heatedthroughout their length and then riveted without producing anysubstantial bending or buckling of the rivets under the hammeringoperation, and permitting swelling of the rivet rnd filling of therivet-hole. other minor aims and objects of the inven tion "11 beapparent from the following description. 'In the accompanying drawings Ihave ing the followers.

.1nvention.. in WlllCl1- Figure .1 is a top plan view of a draft andboiling mechanism embodying one form of.my.improvements. Fig. 2 is acentral longitudinal sectional view of thesame. ,Fig. .3 is aperspective detail view of the F 1g, 4 is a crosssecti0nal view on theline 4- 1 of; Fig. 2. Fig. is a cross-sectional view on the line of Fig.2. Figs. 6 and 7 are top plan and central longitudinal sectionalviews,respectively, of a modified form of the invention. sectional viewon the line 8-8 of Fig. 7. Figs. .9 and 10 are top plan and centrallongitudinal sectional views, respectively, of auturther modified formof the invention. .Figzll is a cross-sectional view. on. theline 11-11of Fig. 10. Figs. 1-2 and 1?) are top plan and longitudinal sectionalviews, .respectively, more particularly illustrating yoke-engaging-faceof one of the followers.

.Fig. Sis a cross the form of my improved yoke or drawbar extension. andthe manner in which I obtain an increased clearance for lateral .eachofwhich is herein shown as of a .1101- low .or shell fornihaving a pairof. twin compartments separated by a central longitudinal partition 3for the accommodation of the twin draft and boiling springs at: saidpartition also reinforcing and strengthentiretv the draw-bar extensionor yoke; and it will be observed as constitutingan important feature ofthe present invention that this memher has at its inner end 5 aconsiderably decreased width as compared with its forward end adjacentto the draw-bar.

Mrcferably. and as more clearly illustrated in the enlarged views Figs.12 and 13, the yoke is tapered between the inner end of the draw-bar andthe inner end of theyoke, gradually contracting; in width toward saidinner end of the yoke,v and. to compensate .i ;u point .of strength forsuch narrowing of the yoke. I reverselytaper the horizontal-'lunbsthereof. as Shown in F153;. 13, mak ng them of graduallvincreasing thickness/ ron 5 designates as an en,

the inner end of the draw-bar to the inner end of the yoke. In this waya substantially uniform extent of cross-sectional area is maintainedthroughout the horizontal limbs of the yoke from end to end; and thisprovision is preferably carried out through that part of the yoke whichoverlaps the butt of the draw-bar, the inetal adjacent to the rivetholesbeing increased in amount to substantially the extent of the metaldisplaced by the said holes. In other words, a reduction in eithercrosssectional dimension of the yoke at any point is offset orcompensated for by a substantially corresponding increase in the othercross-sectional dimension, or by adding metal to compensate for metalremoved for apertures. It will be evident that the inner end of the yokemight be reduced in width for the obtaining of greater clearance betweenthe rear followerstops by giving to the rear portion of the yoke auniform reduced width instead of tapering the sides thereof. The latterform is preferable. however, as it increases the transversestrain-resisting strength of the yoke adjacent to the draw-bar wheresuch strains are greatest when applied to the end of the yoke andtransmitted through the leverage thereof. In order to obtain the sameextent of lateral pla or side swing of the draw-bar under bu 'ngmovement as under draft, greater clearance is required between the innerend of the yoke and rear stops than is required between the rear end ofthe drawbar or forward portion of the yoke and the front stops, and thisis especially true in-constructions employing a relatively long yoke andalso in constructions where the drawbar and inner end of the yokecontinue to pivot centrally of the front and rear followers,respectively, in side play, as they ought .to do on curves.

Another feature of my invention resides in the provision of a centralcross nember of the yoke that is preferably formed integral therewithand is located between the inner end of the drawbar and the front faceof the forward follower, and is designed both to relieve to a largeextent the connection between the draw bar and yoke of injurious strainsand to form a bearing during buiiing between the draw-bar and the frontfollower. This cross-member, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. takes the formof a pair of inwardly projecting lugs or bearing blocks that are castintegral with the'upper and lower limbs of the yoke, respectively, andare formed with rounded faces, as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1,to engage the front follower, which in this particular illustration isshown as provided with a cooperating surface 9 of the follower shell,this construction effecting an automatic re-centering of the draw-barwhen drawn to one side. The yoke engaging face of the folldtver shell isprovided centrally of the concave surface 9 with a horizontally disposedfillet 10 (Fig. 3) that occupies the space between the inner ends of thelugs or bearing blocks 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The main purposeof the fillets 10, the outer face of which lies substantially flush withthe outer face of the follower, is to permit the application of anordinary or standard yoke in cases of emergency repair, where thespecial form of yoke herein shown might be unavailable, since thedistance between the faces of the fillets of the front and rearfollowers is substantially equal to the distance between the front andrear follower-stops,

which in turn is substantially 'the distance between theouter faces ofthe front and rear followers. strengthen the followers. The rearfollower has its rear or operative face formed the same at the frontface of the forward follower, and its fillet 10 engages a space be tweenthe upper and lower bearing blocks indicated at 11 in Figs. 1 and 2, thesame as in the case of the forward follower. 12 designates the hollowdraw-bar or coupler shank, the inner end of which is cast with a seriesof vertical rivet holes 13 therein designed to loosely fit at theircentral portions the shanks of rivets 14 that secure the drawbar to theyoke. The endsof holes 13 are of sufiicient size to permit rivets whenheated throughout to be easily passed therethrough, but neverthelesscentrally prevent buckling and bending of the rivet underthe hammeringoperation, thus making a more efficient and stronger.'"connection andpermitting sufficient swelling of the rivet to fill the' ends of therivet hole.

The butt of the draw-bar is overlapped by Said fillets also reinforceand.

the upper and lower limbs of the yoke, as

. yoke filling plates or shims 15 that are pro vided on theirlongitudinal edges with upwardly and downwardly extending lips 16 and17, respectively, (see Fig/5) that over lap the adjacent sides of theyoke and drawbar and afford substantial. reinforcement against unduerelative lateral or angular movement, between said parts. The ends ofthe limbs of the yoke are extended over the draw-bar beyond its butt,and are secured thereto by a rivet 18 in, a manner similar to thedescribed manner ,f applying the rivets 14. The inner end'or face of thebutt of the draw-bar is designed to contact against the lugs orbearing-blocks 8 to back up the latter; and to insure such contact andalso to receive the lateral strains and relieve the rivets of shear Ipreferably employ between the draw-bar and the yoke, as shown in Figs.1, 2 and 4,,other horizontally acting shims or filling plates,preferably 111 the form of wedges 19, the inner inclined edgeof whichengages a correspondingly inclined shoulder of the butt of the draw bar,while its outer inclined edge similarly engages an internal inclinededge 21 of the downwardlyturned end of the yoke. The

" tended intothe yoke 5, as shown, the wedge 19 is slotted as shown at22 in Fig. 1; and the projectingends of the wedge opposite the open endof the slot is advantageously inwardly lipped, as shown at 23 in Fig. l,to overlie the side of the draw bar and thus toflserve "as a. "retainingmember for :the

whereby is secured draw bar and also to lock the wedge plate in place.It will be seen that by driving these wedges 19 into place theoverlapping ends ofthe draw-bar and yoke are forced in oppos ted1'rect1ons, thereby securing a firm longitudinal connection of the twoparts.

It will be seen that the wedge plates or shims when positionedcotiperate with the overlapping ends of the draw and yoke apredetermined relation, and it will be noted that aside'from' the yokerivets the wedges or plates are of themselves sufficient to insure aconnection between the draw bar and yoke. Theyoke is prpyided ofi itslongitudinal edges with '"IllSed reinforcing ribs Qlwhich preferablyextend the full. length thereof'and are continued across the inner endor cross-member of the yoke.

The modification shown in Figs, 6, 7 and 8 differs from that hereinabove described chiefly in the substitution of a separable transversebearing-b ock 8 that secured between the longitudinal limbs of the yokeby a rivet 25; the ends of said bearing-block being, however,countersunk in the inner,

faces of said limbs, as shown at .36, so as to relieve the rivet ofshearing strains. In this construction 1 have also shown the use of asimilar separable bearing-block 8" at the rear or inner end of the yoke,the same being secured imposition by a rivet 27. To relieve the rivet 27of shear, I preferably form on the rear vertical corners of the block 9"ribs 8 which preferably lie in correspondingly formed depressions in thesides of the vertical inner end member of the yoke to avoid increasingthe width of the inner end of the yokes. Furthermore, the inner face ofthe' vertical inner end member of the yoke, against which thebearingblock S abuts is substantially in the transverse plane of theoperative facesof the rear follower stops, so that, blocks the yoke maybe used with a plain standard follower whose outer face is substantiallyin the transverse plane of the op erat-ive faces of the rear followerstops. Preferably, also, 'tl'ieforward surfaces of the block 8 and thevertical limb of the yoke .are rounding, as shown in 6,

which affords a. rounding (ii-convex bearing face on the follower,vwhichever is used. The separable bearlng-blo'cks S and 8* are moreespecially'designed to be used in cast y knocking out the bearingmetalyokes in order to insure a uniform distance between the engaging membersof the front and rear followers, since a casting is liable to vary. Inthis case, I have also shown laterally acting retaining means for the.draw bar consisting of lips-28 formed integral with the sidesof the yokeand overlapping the vertical sides of the butt of the draw-bar, asclearly shown in Fig. Sand serving the same function as the lips 16, 1?,and 23 of the plates 15 and 19. The tightening wedges 19 are omitted inthis form; but a' similar result is secured by forming on adjacentsurfaces of the draw-bar butt and yoke cooperating inclined shoulders 12and-521espectively, either or both of whichmay be employed, and whichoperate, when the sides of the yoke are drawn together by the connectingrivets, to relieve the shear on the lat ter by taking up the lateralstrains as also to hold the end of the draw-bar against thebearing-block. In Fig. 8 I have illustrated an adjusting means forsecuring a fit between the inner end of the draw-bar and the limbs ofthe yoke and compensating for irregularities in casting, the sameconsisting in forming longitudinal ribs or fins 29 on the inner faces ofthe ends of the yoke that can be readily planed off by a cold chisel orsimilar tool to afforddncreased space for construction of yoke, and forpurposes of adjustment and fitting the ribs 29' are also provided. ligs. 9,10 and 11 likewise show a single central longitudinal reinforcingrib 24* on the yoke.

It will lee observed that in all the forms of the invention illustratedthe yoke is provided with through which the strains are transmitteddirectly to the followers, which bearingblock is either integral withthe yoke or a transverse bearing-block secured thereto by rivets orotherwise. Further, this bearing-block at both ends of the yoke lieswithin a depression or concavity in the operating face of the followerso that its presence does not involve any increase of the standardlength of the yoke or any increase of the standard length of thedraw-bar between the front follower and the coupler head. In case,therefore, any of the bearing blocks 8, 8, 8 or 8 becomes broken orrequires removal, or the entire yoke has to be replaced by any otherstandard yoke, the inner end of the draw-bar and the transverse memberof the yoke will cooperate with the followers, through dngagement withthe fillets 10, in the usual manner. My invention thus provides for thecontingency of emergency repairs with the ordinary and other standardforms ,of yoke. It will be noted that the yoke is so constructed as topresent with the draw bar coacting inter-engaging members which preventtheir separation longitudinally and their disarrangement laterally whenonce assembled and yet to permit their ready assembling andinterlocking, without disturbing the normal position'of the draw barhead relative to a vertical line as by rotating the draw bar. in thepresent case the interlocking being effected by a relative lateralbodily movement of the yoke parts relative to the draw bar asdistinguished from a rotary or a purely longitudinal movement. It Willbe seen that when so assel-hb'led and interlocked the integral oradjunctive parts of the yoke, such as the lip." 28, or the shims 15, and19 and their lips 16, 17 and 21- serve to confine the draw bar againstundue lateral motion within the yoke when the yoke arms are connected toor upon the draw bar by the key or rivets.

I claim:

1. A draw-bar yoke, having cross-sew tional forms at different pointsthereof of varying dimensions but of substantially uni form strength toresist strains, substantially as described.

'2. A draft mechanism, comprising followers, followerstops, a draw-bar,and a yoke, said yoke being narrower at its rear end than at its pointof connection with the draw bar and correspondingly thickened invertical section at said rear end to offset its reduction in width,substantially as described. 3. A tapered draw-bar yokeof less width atits inner end than at its point of attachment to the draw bar, and ofreverse taper in vertical section to maintain a substantially uniformstrength at all points of its cross section substantially as described.

4. An apertured draw-bar yoke' having cross-sectional forms of varyingdimensions but of such proportions as to afford a substantially uniformresistance to strains, sub stantially as described.

5. A draw-bar havinga rivet hole the central portion whereof has' adiameter slightly greater than that of the rivet, substantially asdescribed.

6. A draw-bar having a rivet hole the central portion whereof has adiameter slightly greater than that of the rivet, whereby, to facilitatethe insertion of the rivet and prevent undue buckling of the same duringswedging thereof, substantially as described.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a draw-barhaving a shoulder at its inner end, a yoke secured thereto, the latterhaving forward and rear integral bearing members adapted to engage andconfine the inner end of the draw bar therebetween, and a wedge disposedbetween the draw bar and one of the bearing members whereby to secure atight fit between said shoulder and the other bearing member.substantially as described.

8. The combination with a draw-bar having an external projectionadjacent to its inner end, of a yoke having a corresponding projectionadjacent to its outer end, a key member inserted between saidprojections, and means for securing said yoke to said draw-bar, said keymember serving to prevent undue lateral play of the parts to relieve theshearing strain on the means securing said yoke to said d aw-bar,substantially as described.

9. The combination with a draw-bar shank having external projections onopposite sides thereof, of a yoke also having in ternal projections onopposite sides, and a wedge-shaped key member inserted between theprojection on one side of said shank and the projection on thecorresponding side of said yoke, and means connecting said yoke to saiddraw bar, said key member serving as a shim to prevent undue lateralplay to relieve the shearing strain on said connecting means,substantially as described.

10. The combination with a draw-bar. of a yoke, and a draft gear, saidyoke being provided with a bearing member having a roundedfollower-engaging face lying be tween the draw bar and the draft gearand engaged by the rear end of said draw bar, substantially asdescribed.

GEORGE H. l ORSYTH.

Witnesses Santa-:1. N. loxn, James ll. ()rrTu'Ln.

